Multiple-cylinder internal-combustion engine.



F. n. SUNDERMAN..

MULTIPLE CYLINDER INTERNAL OOMBUSTION ENGINE,

APPLICATION PILEDAPEB, 1912. I I

Patented Feb. 17,1914.

2 sums-sum 1.

F. R. SUNDERMAN. MULTIPLE OYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

.urmonxon FILED APR. 6, 1912. 1,087, 1 5 1 Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

, UNITED s ATEsrA'r r oFFIcE SAEETY'CABBURE'BERCQBPQBATidN, or

OF NEW YORK.

, FREDERICK n smvnnnmnn, or-nnwnnnemcimw 1033:, were; 'rq'spistimnman mg, ,4 eonronsrrgmf MULTH'LE-GYLIKDEB nxtrnnnar counusrron enema.

Be it known that I, FREDERIGKR. SUNDER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Newburgh, in the. county of"Or'-' ange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in MIdtipleTGyIinder Internal-Combustion E'ne the following is a specificzv gines,"of which tion.

My invention relates to multiple cylinder internal combustion engines, and it has its most needed a plic ation in engines'having six or Jncre cy inders, though its use is not to be limited'to engines having this number of cylinders.

The object of my invention is to increase the efliciency of multiple cylinder internal combustion engines,land the invention conj sistsin the provision. of apparatus tor insurmg, a proper distribution and re ation of the flow of fuel through the brane fuel supply pipes leading from the carbureter to the different cylinders. In such engines, the branch fuel supply pipes leading to the cylinders are connected with the main pipe from thecarbureter by means of some suitable junction piece, which pipes, from the standpoint of vapor fuel supply passages, are of considerable length.

Without the use of such apparatus as this invention provides, when the iston any cylinder moved to draw in a charge of fuel, it would not only draw fuel from the carbureter, but would also draw fuel from the difi'erent branch pipes leadingjto the other cylinders, thus partially robbing these pipes of their ,former charge. This drawingof fuel into the cylinders from branch pipes leading to other cylinders, has far reaching effects on the quality of fuel" finally drawn into the cylinders, which result in greatly decreasing the power of'the engine For I instance, assuming that the engine is running and that one of the pistons is drawing in a charge of gas, since the branch ipe to that cylinder was partly emptied y the previously operated cylinders, a part of the movement-of the pisto i consumed in fin I p PLQYlde an opem g 20 o is impoverished and of low density, due to the fact that it is partially drawn from. the

, other branch pipes and through-a pipe in which there is a partial vacuum or reduced Specification of'Letters Patent. Application filed April 6, Q12. Serial No. 688,854.

' tion piece or connection density; Another detrimental upon the charge of hydrocarbon gas thus drawn back and forth from one branch pi eto. another i over the difl'e'rent curves and'e bows, is that the hydrocarbonf -gas "I is partially tratified, or the llqllld. hydrocarbon partially separated out from the gas," which further impoverishes it. While these troubles arising Patented Feb.17-,-ie14;;

from the drawing-of fuel hack and forth through the difieren't branch pipes are, experienced in four-cylinder engines, they are much more manifest in en 'nes having. six or mor'e'cylinders. This is g ue to the longer len he of the branch pipes and the order in an rapidity with which the cylinders are fired, whichcauses a morerapidsurgifng'ot 't-he vapors over more indirect and longer passages. In order to overcome these diflh cul'tie's, I have provided check valves in the branch passages near their junction so that' each cylinder will draw its entire charge directly from the carbureter. 1 In the preferred form of my invention, the junction point of the branch pipes is near the carbureter and the check valves arel'ocatedi in the junction piece. v

M invention will be more readily understood and further objects of theinvention will more fully appear from thevfol'lowing description taken in connection with the accompanying' drawings inwhich 7 Figure l'i s a si'delevation of a six-cylin der gas engine equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectlonal view of the pre* ferred form of my fuel d strihuter or regulator shown Fig. 1}; and Fig[ 3 is an-enlargpd cross-sectional view taken'on line iza of i 2.

Ref erring to the drawings, 1' isthe base of a ga ng n a w i h y inde s 21, 3'; 4,

5, 6 and 7' are mounted. s

-8 s a ar u r C nn t d to thecy inders through main fuel supply pipe 9, une- 0, which, in the present form of my invention, constitutes the 'fhel distributer or're'gulator, and'branch fuel upp y'p 'p t 9, n lu ive Eeferrin I to Fig. 2, the fuel distribut'er these passages on openings 21, 21, 'QI' are provided with seats 22, 22" on which seat ball check valves 23, 23, 23". These seats are preferably located at the lower ends of the openings 21, 21', 21", and the check valves are, preferably in the form of balls and made of fiber in order to decrease the hammerin action and noise which would result if meta lic ballswere used, and which would be more marked if ordinary disk check valves were used. 'Aside from the noise which would result in the use of the ordinary disk form of check valves. the continual hammering of such vah es would render them liable tobe frequently broken.

In the preferred form of my invention, as shown in F ig. 2, branch supply pipes 11 and 17 are arranged at an ang e of l? degrees and the inner contour or chamber portion of the fuel distributer preson ts a smooth unobstructed surface to the flow of gases, thus avoiding any pocketing or eddy currents. When the branch pipes are arranged at an angle in this manner, I provide guides 24, 24' for the end balls 23, 23 ,as more fully shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of a six-cylinder engine as formerly constructed without the use of I the present invention, cylinder 2 would first be fired drawing its fuel through branch pipe 11 from the carbureter and from branch pipes 14 and 17 thus robbing these pipes of their former charge; then cylinder 6 would be fired, drawing its fuel through partly emptied branch pipe 17 from the carbureter and from pipes 14 and 11; then cylinder 3 would be fired, drawing its charge through partly emptied branch pipe 11 from the carbureter and from pipes 14 and 17 then cylinder 7 would be fired, drawing its supply through pipe 17 as did cylinder 6, and then cylinders 4c and 5 in order would be fired. Whereas, when the engine is equipped in accordance with my invention, each cylinder draws its entire 7 charge of rich fuel directly from the carbureter while the check valves to the other cylinders keep their branch pipes closed.

I have shown by actual experiment that a sixcylinder gas engine equipped with a fuel distributer or regulator according to my invention, will have its power increased over 25 per cent. above its maximum output under the same conditions, but with the omission of the gas distributer. Aside from the great increase in output resulting from this invention, it is shown by actual experiments that the engines are much more readily started. Considerable difliculty has heretofore been experienced in starting up sixcylinder engines, whereas very little effort is required when such engines are equipped with this invention, and this is believed to be due to the fact that each of the branch supply pipes, after the engine has been turned over once, or without turning it over at all if it has been recently used, will contain a wearer full charge of rich fuel ready to be drawn into the cylinder.

\Vhile I have described my invention in detail in connection with what I believe to be its preferred form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes in the construction, shape and location of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that it will be immaterial to my broad invention if the check valves be made of different types from that shown, or if they be located at other points than in the junction or connecting pieces for the different supply pipes; and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any features other than as indicated in the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a carbureter, a plurality of cylinders, branch fuel supply passages between the carbureter and the cylinders terminating at the cylinders for conveying fuel from the carbureter to the cylinders,

and check valves in said branch passages at the carbureter end thereof, whereby fuel to any cylinder may be drawn from the carbureter through the corresponding branch passage, but not from other branch passages equipped with check valves.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combinationofa carbureter, a plurality of cylinders, branch fuel supply passages between the carbureter and the cylinders terminating at the cylinders and branching adjacent the carbureter, and check valves in said branch passages at the junction thereof.

3. Inan internal combustion engine, the combination of a carbureter, a plurality of cylinders, fuel supply pipes for conveying fuel from the carbureter to the cylinders, and a fuel distributor connected between the carbureter and the branch pipes and having an opening to the carbureter and branch passages connecting with the pipes, and a check valve in each of two or more of said branch passages.

4..In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a carbureter, a plurality of cylinders, branch fuel supply passages between the carbureter and the cylinders ter-' minating at the cylinders for conveying fuel from the carbureter to the cylinders, and ball check valves in said branch passages at the carbureter end thereof, whereby fuel to any cylinder may be drawn from-the carbureter through the corresponding branch passage, but not from other branch passages equipped with ball check valves.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a carbureter, a plurality of cylinders. fuel supply pipes for conveying fuel from the carbureter to the cylinders,

and a fuel distributer located adjacent the carbureter and having an opening to the carbureter and a plurality of branch passages connecting with the pipes, with a ball check valve in each of two or more of said branch passages.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a carbureter, a plurality of cylinders, fuel supply pipes for conveying fuel from the carbureter to the cylinders, and a fuel distributer connected between the carbureter and the branch pipes and comprising a chamber having an opening'to the carbureter and branch passages connecting with the pipes, and ball check alves Within said passages.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the

carbureter and the branch pipes and comprising a. chamber-having an opening to the carbureter and. branch passages connecting with the pipes, and non-metallic ball check valves within said passages, with guides for a plurality of said balls.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK R. SUNDERMAN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL M. WARD, J r., EDWIN SEGER. 

